The Cookie Experiment, 2003

A 2003 study put students into groups of three to write a short paper together. Two students were instructed to write the paper, while the other was told to evaluate the paper and determine how much each student would be paid. In the middle of their work, a researcher brought in a plate of five cookies. Although generally the last cookie was never eaten, the "boss" almost always ate the fourth cookie. 

Based on the experiment, researchers gathered that when people are given power in scientific experiments, they are more likely to make risky choices and gambles, to make offers into negotiations, and to speak their mind about their needs. 

I never really thought about the psychology behind eating a cookie, but it does make sense. There is something about having a simple job title that, in a weird way, makes you feel powerful and significant. Can anyone think of an example of this type of human behavior?

http://southworks.com/blog/2009/06/21/the-cookie-experiment/